


Weigh Me Down, Please Lay Me Down

by crystalequinox



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Chief Crankypants, F/F, Gay Panic, Humor, Katara was a gret mother and Toph was not, Kya being a horribly flirtatious lesbian, Kya is the vodka aunt, Kya thinks she's funny but she's not, Lesbian Sex, Lin's emotional constipation, Romance, beifong family - Freeform, beifong sisters, gaang kids, lowkey korrasami, please let Pema sleep, young Lin Beifong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-11-06 16:32:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11040000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystalequinox/pseuds/crystalequinox
Summary: It was Lin's policy never to put herself in a situation that would be deemed unprofessional, or otherwise embarrassing to her position as chief of the Republic City police, the Beifong name, or—most importantly—herself.Kya’s existence had always been contrary to that policy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Since Kya is canonically queer let's say that Lin has had a raging crush on her for years and it's piled on all of her other emotional baggage she hasn't dealt with/still dealing with. Let's also say that Kya was at Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding and the first chapter takes place there.

It was Lin's policy never to put herself in a situation that would be deemed unprofessional, or otherwise embarrassing to her position as chief of the Republic City police, the Beifong name, or—most importantly—herself.  

“Lin, it’s just a dance.”

Kya’s existence had always been contrary to that policy.

“Come on you can lead.”

Taking the half finished kebab from Lin’s steely grip Kya set it on her own plate that she had abandoned at the nearby table where Pema was finally settling down after sending the smallest of the airbender children off to bed.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Her stiff posture locked her in place, without her armor she felt naked and exposed to attack, exposed to Kya’s lovely fingers skimming over the pine green of her dress coat to settle at her shoulder.

“You’ve just been standing here awkwardly for the past hour, you’re not on guard duty tonight, kick back, relax, and dance with me Chief Grumpypants.”

Ever since they were kids, Kya had been the calm voice of reason that lured her into doing the unreasonable. Until she’d met Korra, Lin had thought that mellowed demeanor was purely a waterbender thing.

Now seduced onto the dance floor she was floundering with where to put her hands until Kya eased a hand to the small of her own back and Lin fought the red scathing its way up her neck, it was like being sixteen again.

“I don’t even think I know how to dance. That’s Su’s thing.”

Kya’s lip quirked and Lin straddled the decision of pissing her off enough to get out of this and the regret of missing this chance.

“Think of it like fighting, just do what your body tells you.”

If Lin did what her body told her to right now she’d run her hands up that form fitting dress and through that silver hair and Kya’s back would be against a wall or a table and—oh they were moving.

Kya was flowing. She, on the other hand, was trying not to stumble.

 

***

 

“And do you—“ Kya couldn’t finish the sentence as a bout of laughter spluttered out, she memory strong enough to cause her to nearly double over in her seat with mirth, the drink in her hand tipping dangerously in a loose grip.

“Do you remember when we went to Ember Island with mom and Aunt Toph and Lin made that sand castle—“

“ _Sand fortress_.” Lin corrected gruffly under her breath. With her arms crossed she had slowly been sinking lower into the flimsy metal chair as the stories of the Good Ol’ Days progressed.

Kya heard her but waved a hand frivolously at the detail.

“And that look on her face when—“ another onslaught of silent, shoulder shaking amusement, “When Su made that sand tornado and—“ she could barely get through the story between the giggling and the alcohol smeared words, “Blew it down!”

There it goes, the whole table finally losing it at the evoked mental image of Lin’s scrawny twelve year old little arms and legs tight as a one of her metal cords with rage, fists ready and her little unscarred and irate face scrunched up into a tighter version of her current expression at having Kya, Bumi, and Su all relive that little pearl of a moment.

“Who dared her to do it, Kya?” Lin tried to retort, but Kya was already slamming down the remainder of her drink and waiving to the tired waiter for another.

“I thought you were really going to kill me then, if Aunt Katara hadn’t stepped in.” Su patted her on the shoulder, “No hard feelings right?”

“Right.”

Lin restrained from rolling her eyes and instead shifted her glass to let the ice clink around inside. Everyone had taken Su’s side. They always took Su’s side.

She should have left already. She hadn’t realized how much time being mesmerized by Kya’s hips under her hands and the woman’s not so subtle flirting had taken as the party had dwindled down to a few lone dancers of which the bride and groom were still counted among. Tenzin and Pema had long ago abandoned the festivities, surprisingly along with Korra and Asami.

Unfortunately Bolin had not, and he was only a few desolate tables away with Opal and Mako. And within hearing range. She really didn’t want that loudmouthed kid bringing up any more especially scathing questions about her past like he had done with Toph, or rehashing embarrassing past events to her officers.

Lin stood, “It’s been a long night, I’m going to bed.”

“Lin wait!” Kya shot up but the velocity rebounded against her and she began to slip, Lin caught her and immediately regretted it, since Kya’s arms were now wrapped around her neck and she could feel the woman’s lips against her cheek and ear, and feel her face burning at the sensation.

“Don’t go.” Her words were low and edged with indecency.

“I think it’s time you left the party too.”

“Party Pooper Police.”

Su put her own glass down and looked around, “I’m with Lin on this one, I don’t think any of us can party the way we used to.”

Bumi slapped a hand down on the table, “Speak for yourself!” and then proceeded to chug the remainder of his drink but only ended up choking on it and coughing it over himself and the table.

Kya chuckled to herself as Lin half carried her drunk ass back to the Air Temple, not for the first time.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’ve never been a partier in the first place.”

“I only ever stuck around because you made me.”

Kya laughed again and leaned more heavily against Lin, if that were even possible, “You stuck around because you had a crush on me.”

Lin was tempted to toss her over the island and into the sobering water.

“You’re not funny.”

 

***

 

Something was wrong.

Something was warm and familiar but most of all wrong. Wrong because Lin Beifong slept alone. Warm and familiar because it was Kya. She had been vaguely conscious when Kya had slipped into her bed, mumbling something about not wanting to share a room with Bumi who, if she remembered correctly, had a bad snoring problem that used to drive his siblings into restless nights.

While the city was being rebuilt she was staying at Air Temple Island, since her apartment building had been damaged in the destruction. It wasn’t as though she had a lot of valuables there in the first place. She practically lived at the station anyway so it wasn’t a hard transition. Although she was an early riser, the particular alarm clock sounds of squabbling airbender children at the crack of dawn was grating on her nerves.

If the reconstruction could hurry up that would be great. She wasn’t fond of living off of the kindness of others, it was a lot like mooching.

When she shifted, Kya buried herself deeper into the pillows and blankets, and Lin. The temptation was monstrous, to slip her arms around the silk of Kya’s nightgown and press her weight into her, to find out she’d been missing out on all these years, what she’d longed for secretly—even keeping it from herself—as a teenager, as an adult, even now, would be too easy.

But Lin Beifong did not do what was easy.

Lin sat up and shook the other woman’s shoulder, “Kya, you should go.”

A groan, “I feel horrible.”

“You can’t drink like that anymore you idiot. Now grow up and get out.”

“You’re an ass.”

“I know.”

Out of the usual semi-complex, semi-lax updo, Kya’s hair flowed around her face and cascaded down shoulders, to flow over her back in thick stunning waves.

At the door, Kya paused, leaning against the paneling, “At least you’re a cute ass.” And damn it if she didn’t wink. Leaving Lin flustered and red, like always.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

“Baatar and I are staying here for awhile to help rebuild Republic City.”

“That’s great, Su.” 

Their relationship was still rocky, but at least it wasn’t danger zone territory anymore, and besides, they did make a rather good team if the occasional life or death battle arose. Having Su around a little longer wouldn’t be horrible, she wasn’t exactly looking forward to it, but dread and rage weren’t words she associated with her younger sister anymore.  In fact, she was starting to soften at the edges where even the mention of Su had always sharpened her into a razor.  As long as Su didn’t want to have a sit down and talk about their feelings and boys and nail painting—like the little girls they never were—she could tolerate it.  Maybe even enjoy it.

“And after, I was hoping you would come with us back to Zaofu.”

Lin bit back her immediate response, which was to tell Su she couldn’t swaddle and pack all her family neatly into her airship.

Instead she cleared her throat of the venom, uncrossed her arms, found that position to be too vulnerable, and crossed them over her chest once more, “I might have some vacation time saved up.”

Approximately three months of vacation time saved up. 

Lin Beifong never took her vacation time.  Crime in Republic City didn’t take vacation time.

“To stay, Lin.”

It was like when they used to skip stones across the shores at low tide, the chilly sea wind biting their child legs where they had drawn up their pants.  They still fought then, but it was before their relationship was strained and twisted.  Lin would try to show Su how to bend the rocks, the flat smooth ones, in clean hopping arcs across the water, but Su would always ruin it by dumping the largest pieces she could find into the water just to watch the splash happen. 

 “What?  Whoa, I’m not ready to retire just yet.”

“There’s an opening for a captain of my honor guard.  You wouldn’t have to retire, and we could reconnect as a family again, once everything dies down.”

“Great, you want me to work for you?”

It always pissed her off, the way Sue loved to shake the world up, no precaution or procedure to it.  How she believed everything would go her way. 

“Lin…that’s not what I meant.  Just think it over okay?”

 

***

 

Work was the most efficient way to dodge both her family and her feelings. Throwing herself into a harrowing day of work was the best kind of exhaustion, and so she was practically overjoyed to re-organize the police force and establish order in Republic City.

Until spirits forbid, her sister—even Korra—intervene and convince President Raiko to give her a forced holiday. 

Resisting the immediate urge to sling herself halfway across the city and slap her sister across the face with a ton of rubble took a tremendous amount of willpower.

Okay.  Think positive.  Think productive.  She could train, she could get some sleep, she could start unpacking her salvaged possessions in the new apartment in the part of town that hadn’t been decimated by the spirit bomb.  Except after a day and a half she had everything unpacked, had purchased new furniture, everything organized, her dishes were clean, the floors were swept, the books were alphabetized, she had already been on a five mile run and showered, and the tea was hot. 

How the hell was she going to do a week of this?

When the knock at her door came, she was ready and rearing up to give Su a few choice words about interfering with her work life and out of principle decline the offer to join her in Zaofu.

But it wasn’t Su at her door.

“Kya?  What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too.” She brushed past Lin, a large brown paper grocery bag in her arms that she set at the small, square dining table.

“You like noodles right?” she was already pulling containers of take out from the bag.  Noodles, salad, and a bottle of sake.

“No really, what are you doing here?”

“I came to give you a little apartment warming party.”  She threw her hands up expressively.  

“I hate parties.” She crossed her arms over her chest, a childhood habit of frustration that she’d yet to kick. 

“That’s why I didn’t invite anyone else, Chief Crankypants.”

“Stop calling me that!”

Kya laughed plopped herself down at the table, “I thought you’d like a distraction from your vacation time, I bet you’ve already run out of things to keep you busy.”

The intensified look of irritation scrunching up Lin’s face was all Kya needed to confirm her assumption. 

“You know it’s rude to come into someone’s home uninvited.  I should kick you out on your ass.”

“But you won’t.”

With only a small huff Lin joined her at the table.

“When are you leaving?”

Kya opened the container of salad, pushing one of the noodle boxes to Lin’s side of the table, “I just got here Lin, at least let me eat.” She grinned at her own joke.

“You know what I mean damn it, when are you leaving Republic City?”

The cheeky nature of Kya’s presence died away and she pushed around a tomato, “I don’t know.  I can’t think of a reason to leave just yet.”

With a defeated sigh, Lin opened the container of noodles.“You always have a reason to leave.”

 

***

 

Meditation, she had always thought, was a stupid waste of time. 

“I’m not going to chant.” 

After a couple of drinks, she’d lost the characteristic bite to her tone. 

“You don’t have to, just close your eyes, breathe slowly, and clear your mind.”

Eyes closed.  Check.  Breathing.  Check. 

Mind cleared, not so much.  Not with Kya’s hands working at her shoulders, not with the tickle of her breath at her neck.  She was at least trained enough in fortitude to keep herself from letting any girlish shivers ripple down her spine.

“Why are you making me do this?”

“To force you to relax on your vacation you workaholic.”

At least Kya wasn’t going to lecture her about spending time with her sister, not yet anyway.   

“Why don’t you go home.”  

“You mean to Air Temple Island?  Please, if I have to spend one more night with Bumi I’ll suffocate him in his sleep.”

It was difficult to retain her gruff attitude towards Kya’s intrusion on her privacy when she was fighting a grin. Then the implication settled on her and she was hyper aware of Kya’s touch.  Aware that her own hands were inches from the coppery legs she used to stare at when Kya wore dresses that had a slit cut up to the thigh and the warm summer days spent on the beach.

“Who said you could stay here?”

Kya said nothing, but pinched at a hardened cord at Lin’s neck causing a cold-hot ripple down her spine, a not too unpleasant sensation that had her arching her back before the reaction registered.

The hands at her neck stilled their easy ministrations, “I think I found your soft spot, Lin.  Didn’t know you had one.”

“I don’t.”

Her hands worked at Lin’s neck again, but not in the shallow way Kya had been attending to her before, she was really digging into the metallic stress against her neck, the pent up of frustration.  All the years she’d spent furious at her sister, and then worse, to hear about that criminal little teenager rise as a superstar, building her small, utopian kingdom while Lin was left to trace her mother’s path, always a dim light in the legendary shadow of Toph Beifong.  Kya’s fingers swam and dug against her buried relationship with Tenzin.  The most practical pairing of all Team Avatar’s children, but Tenzin could never fathom her molten core, his deflection at her barriers.  Unlike Kya with her sly mouth and roaming fingers, her concern and her aggression always balanced prying and wading.  The awe Kya—the older girl, the pretty girl—had inspired in Lin in her youth slowly boiling into a façade of distain.  To cover up the way she had yearned for Kya to stay longer, to look at her longer, to let those touches last longer.   

At this point Lin nearly had her fist shoved into her mouth to keep from making any indecent noises as the water bender worked at her shoulders, it was excruciating in the best kind of way. 

 Suddenly, she stopped.

“Lin.”

 “Mnh?”

“Lin, do you want me to stay?”

“It’s up to you.”

“You have to tell me if you want it.”

She could feel Kya’s fingertips brush lightly over her vertebrae, over the back of her tank top.  A flimsy piece of fabric. 

Before, the sounds of the vibrant city used to careen down the streets, the walls and windows leaking in desaturated sounds of Satomobile engines, shouting, drunken laughter, sprinkling of honking and the occasional yowling of small night prowling creatures.  Now, there was little of that.  At the moment, only silence dusted into the room and it settled thick between them as Lin stared in front of her at the slick, sturdy metal coffee table.  Kya’s hands finally slid from her shoulders.

The warmth at her back turned to empty cold as Kya pushed herself from the floor.

Lin would not look at her. 

Kya turned back at the door to look at Lin.

Lin would not watch her go. 

She left. 

Lin would not miss her.

She would always leave.  

Lin would always miss her.

 


End file.
